[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 17370-17371]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




TRIBUTE TO LAJOS KOSSUTH, HUNGARIAN CHAMPION OF DEMOCRACY AND FREEDOM, 
                 ON THE 200TH ANNIVERSARY OF HIS BIRTH

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. TOM LANTOS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, September 19, 2002

  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, today, September 19, 2002, is the 200th 
anniversary of the birth of Lajos Kossuth--Hungarian freedom fighter, 
democratic visionary, and frequently called ``the George Washington of 
Hungary.'' Kossuth is the symbol of democracy, representative 
government, and national independence of the Hungarian people.
  On this bicentennial of the birth of Lajos Kossuth, the Hungarian 
government has held a parliamentary anniversary day, convened 
conferences, restored monuments and held historical competitions. For 
Hungarians, Kossuth is not only the leading symbol in Hungary's quest 
for a democratic society, he is also a key figure in the development of 
the consciousness of the Hungarian nation.
  During the middle of the 19th century, Kossuth came to symbolize 
these democratic values and respect for human rights in the United 
States and in Europe as well. As an official guest of the United States 
government for six months in 1851-1852, Kossuth was the first non-
American in our nation's history after the Marquis de Lafayette to have 
the honor of addressing the Senate and the House of Representatives.
  American journalist Horace Greeley said of him in 1852: ``Of the many 
popular leaders who were upheaved by the great convulsions of 1848 . . 
. the world has already definitely assigned the first rank to Louis 
Kossuth--advocate, deputy, finance minister, and finally governor of 
Hungary.'' American man of letters Ralph Waldo Emerson, in welcoming 
Kossuth to the town of Concord, Massachusetts, where the American 
revolution began said: ``We only see in you the angel of freedom.''
  Mr. Speaker, in recognition of his role as a symbol of democracy and 
the relationship between the American and Hungarian people, a bust of 
Lajos Kossuth was placed in the United States Capitol on March 15, 
1990. My wife Annette was the motivating force behind that inspired 
effort. On that occasion in 1990

[[Page 17371]]

the Hungarian people were on the cusp of their liberation from the 
communist governments that dominated the country for the previous 45 
years. Our celebration of the placement of the Kossuth statue in our 
Capitol building provided the occasion for us to pay tribute to Lajos 
Kossuth, his contribution to democracy, and the close links that he 
forged between Hungary and the United States.
  Mr. Speaker, Lajos Kossuth was born on September 19, 1802 in Monok, 
Zemplon County, Hungary. He was born in modest circumstances, though 
his father was a member of the gentry. Following his father's 
profession, he became an attorney, and began his career as an agent for 
a local nobleman. In 1832 at the young age of 30, he was designated a 
substitute to represent a noble in the Hungarian Diet (Parliament). In 
this position, he produced a record of the Diet's proceedings, and 
became an advocate for political reform and national independence. This 
alarmed the Austrian government, and resulted in his being sentenced to 
a four year prison term, although he was released after serving one 
year. While incarcerated, he taught himself English by studying the 
Bible and the works of Shakespeare.
  In 1847 Kossuth was elected to the Diet as a representative of the 
county of Pest. He became the leader of the opposition Reform Party, 
and urged extensive political and social reforms. The outbreak of the 
1848 revolution in Paris and Vienna gave the reform movement new 
impetus. In powerful speeches to the Diet in March of 1848, Kossuth 
demanded the removal of the dead hand of Austrian absolutism as the 
only way to protect the liberties of the Hungarian and other peoples of 
the Austrian empire, and he called for the adoption of representative 
democratic government throughout Austria.
  On March 15, Hungarians in the city of Pest staged a massive peaceful 
demonstration demanding their independence from Austria. That same day 
in Vienna, Kossuth and other parliamentary delegates presented demands 
to the Austrian imperial court for virtual independence of Hungary. The 
panicked court accepted the Hungarian demands, and a Hungarian 
government was appointed by the emperor. March 15 remains a Hungarian 
national holiday in commemoration of this occasion. Kossuth served in 
the key role of Minister of Finance. Kossuth's oratorical prowess and 
his commitment to social and political reform soon made him the most 
popular and highly regarded member of the government.
  As the Hungarian government adopted ever bolder reforms and asserted 
its independence from Vienna, the Austrian government began an effort 
to reassert its control. In September 1848 an Austrian army invaded 
Hungary, the Prime Minister resigned, and Kossuth was named President 
of the Committee of National Defense. He mobilized the Hungarian nation 
against overwhelming odds and instilled in the people the determination 
to resist Austrian absolutism.
  Initially Kossuth and the Hungarian forces succeeded in driving the 
Austrian troops back nearly to Vienna, but the superior military power 
of the Austrians resulted in the occupation of Budapest in January 
1849. In March of 1849, a new emperor, Franz Josef I, was installed, 
and he immediately annulled the previous decree acknowledging Hungary's 
autonomy. In April, the Hungarians rallied and expelled most Austrian 
military forces from the country. Under Kossuth's leadership, the 
elected Hungarian Diet declared the independence of the nation in a 
document influenced by our own American Declaration of Independence. At 
that same time, Kossuth was elected ``Governor-President'' of Hungary, 
responsible to the elected representatives in parliament.
  The Austrian government and military forces were unable to 
reestablish control of Hungarian areas of the empire, and meanwhile, 
the Russian tsar and his government became paranoid about the 
possibility that Hungary's embrace of democracy and representative 
government could influence peoples within its boundaries. With the 
acquiescence of Austria, a massive Russian army invaded Hungary in June 
1849. The badly outnumbered Hungarian military force surrendered six 
weeks later. The Russians carried out brutal reprisals against leaders 
of the independent Hungarian government and the Hungarian army.
  Kossuth, many of his loyal followers and thousands of Hungarian 
troops were able to flee to Turkey. Under pressure from the governments 
of the United Kingdom, the United States, and other west European 
states, the Turkish sultan refused Russian and Austrian demands that 
Kossuth be returned to their control. Kossuth was taken from Turkey on 
the US frigate Mississippi. He made brief stops in France and England, 
and he arrived in New York City on December 5, 1851. His arrival was an 
occasion of remarkable celebration. U.S. Senator Charles Sumner of 
Massachusetts later recalled that occasion in these terms: ``I remember 
the landing of Kossuth. The admiration, . . . enthusiasm, . . . love of 
people, gave him an ovation which only two men had ever received--
Washington and Lafayette.''
  Over the next six months, Mr. Speaker, Kossuth was received by the 
President of the United States, the Senate and the House of 
Representatives, and he traveled throughout the United States. An 
indication of the enthusiasm which Kossuth's visit to our country 
generated is that fact that a county was named after this Hungarian 
freedom fighter in Iowa; towns were named in his honor in Indiana, 
Mississippi, New York, and Ohio; and many American cities have streets 
or avenues named for him in places such as St. Louis, New York City, 
Buffalo, Providence, and Trenton.
  Mr. Speaker, the visit of Kossuth to the United States in 1851-1852 
immediately involved him in critical foreign and domestic policy issues 
facing the American people. U.S. involvement in the struggle for 
democracy and independence in Europe was the first of these questions. 
Many American leaders favored our active participation and support for 
that struggle, while others strongly opposed any involvement beyond our 
borders. By his very presence in our country, Kossuth--the leader of 
the best known revolution against absolutism, monarchy, and repression 
of the mid-19th century--gave powerful support to those who favored 
American involvement in the international fight for freedom and 
democracy.
  Kossuth, during his stay in Washington, made a particularly 
noteworthy comment: ``It is a remarkable fact in the history of mankind 
that while in the past honors were bestowed upon glory and glory was 
attached only to success, the legislative authorities of this great 
republic bestow the highest honors upon the persecuted in exile, not 
conspicuous by glory, not favored by success, but engaged in a just 
cause.''
  Lajos Kossuth was also a fervent foe of bigotry, racism, and anti-
Semitism, and in a world where such values are increasingly under 
attack, it is useful to recall his remarks on this topic: ``I have 
never had and never will differentiate between man and man, based on 
race, language or religion; as a man of the nineteenth century I am 
ashamed by the anti-Semitic agitation, as a Hungarian I feel repentant 
towards, as a patriot I scorn anti-Semitic agitation. I am scornful of 
anti-Semitism for the additional reason of its presentation of the 
social and economic problems not as symptoms but causes, depicting the 
Jews as they would have serve foreign interests preventing the well 
being of our country. This sentiment distracts attention from the 
recognition of the real reasons of these problems, the urgency and 
search for solutions. I consider the principle of discrimination based 
on race, language or religion not only a moral but a political 
impossibility.''
  Mr. Speaker, I invite my colleagues to join me in marking the 
bicentennial of the birth of the great Hungarian statesman and freedom 
fighter, Lajos Kossuth. It is most appropriate that we in the United 
States mark the occasion of his birth and recognize the positive impact 
he has had upon Hungary and other nations throughout the world, 
including our own. He was greatly influenced by the values and 
principles of American democracy, and our nation was enriched by his 
visit here a century and a half ago and by his life-long commitment to 
the values and principles we share.